The presence of moisture (e.g., rain or condensation) and/or other material or debris on vehicle windshields and/or backlites may create hazardous driving conditions for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians if not promptly removed. Wiper blades are a well-known, common way to remove such materials and reduce the hazards of driving during dangerous conditions. Rain sensors have been developed to detect the presence of moisture (e.g., rain or other condensation) on a vehicle windshield, and to turn on and off wipers, as necessary, when such moisture is detected. Automatically detecting rain, sleet, fog, and the like, and taking appropriate action—for example, turning on/off wiper blades at a proper speed—potentially reduces distractions to the driver, allowing the driver to better concentrate on the road ahead. However, inappropriately turning on/off wipers or failing to actuate wipers when moisture is present may also create hazardous conditions. Moreover, such systems are also susceptible to “dirt” distractions which may cause false reads/wipes when dirt is on the windshield.
Certain conventional rain sensors are based on an electro-optical concept. According to certain such techniques, rain droplets are sensed solely by measuring the change in the total internal reflection of a light beam off the glass-air interface. Other electro-optical techniques have attempted to analyze the brightness of a section of a window “image” to detect rain droplets or fog on a window. However, these optical techniques have limited sensing areas, are fairly expensive, and may result in erroneous detection indications due to the use of optical imaging as the sole detection method.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,022 to Tenenbaum et al. discloses an optical technique for sensing rain on a vehicle windshield. This optical system divides a windshield into discrete rows and columns of pixels and then optically develops an “image” of the windshield. It creates a reference image of the windshield against which it compares future optical images. Unfortunately, the system of Tenenbaum suffers from certain disadvantages. The Tenenbaum optical system is susceptible to erroneous detections due to its reliance solely on optical imaging, and has a limited sensing area. The resolution of the optical image, and thus the overall accuracy of the system, is dependent on the imaging optics. This necessitates expensive optical components while requiring computationally intense data analysis, while the system is still subject to the above disadvantages. Furthermore, Tenenbaum depends on the existence of light to illuminate the water droplets through ambient means. Without naturally occurring ambient light (e.g., at night), the system will not properly function. LEDs may be used, but this tends to make the system more complex and/or expensive, with additional potential points of failure. Moreover, when using LEDs in the manner disclosed by Tenenbaum, the system can be confused by sudden changes in ambient light. For example, sudden changes in ambient light may occur when going through a tunnel, coming around a corner and suddenly facing the sun, driving through a city with skyscrapers that block the sun, etc., thereby leading to a potential for false readings/detections and false wiper actuations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,263 to Netzer teaches using capacitive rain sensors and reading the differential current between two capacitors on the windshield. Unfortunately, Netzer's system also has significant disadvantages. For example, Netzer's system is sensitive only to changes. Thus, for example, if there is already moisture (e.g., rain or condensation) on a windshield because a vehicle was parked outside during a rain shower or fog, Netzer's system may not detect the same when the vehicle is started. Moreover, Netzer's system may be subject to certain detrimental effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI), temperature changes, as well as interference from other sources. For instance, as external bodies (e.g., human hand, radio waves, etc.) interfere with the function of the capacitors, the charges of the excitation and receiver electrodes may uncontrollably vary in Netzer, thereby leading to false alarms or detections. Thus, for example and without limitation, with Netzer's system, CB radios, microwaves, handheld devices, human contact with the windshield, groundable objects, and/or the like may undesirably interfere with the system, and thus possibly produce false wipes and/or detections. Netzer's system is also subject to possible false reads caused by drastic temperature changes in view of the reference capacitor system utilized by Netzer, where Netzer's reference capacitor has a different geometry/shape/size than the sensing capacitor.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there exists a need in the art for a moisture (e.g., rain) sensor that is efficient in operation and/or detection. For example and without limitation, it may be desirable to provide a rain sensor that overcomes one or more of the above-discussed disadvantages. It is noted that all of the above-discussed disadvantages need not be overcome in certain example embodiments of this invention.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a rain sensor comprising: a sensing circuit comprising at least first and second sensing capacitors that are sensitive to moisture on an external surface of a window; the sensing circuit further comprising at least one mimicking capacitor that mimics at least charging and/or discharging of at least one of the first and second sensing capacitors; wherein a writing pulse causes at least the first sensing capacitor to be charged, and an erasing pulse causes each of the first sensing capacitor and the mimicking capacitor to substantially discharge; wherein presence of rain on the external surface of the window in a sensing field of the first sensing capacitor causes a voltage at an output electrode of the mimicking capacitor to fluctuate in a manner proportional to fluctuation of voltage at an output electrode of the first sensing capacitor, even though the rain is not present in a field of the mimicking capacitor; and wherein rain is detected based on an output signal from the output electrode of the mimicking capacitor, wherein the output signal is read at least between an end of the writing pulse and a beginning of the erase pulse.
In other example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of detecting rain on a surface of a window, the method comprising: supplying first and second spaced apart writing pulses which respectively cause first and second sensing capacitors of a sensing circuit to charge, wherein the first sensing capacitor charges when the second sensing capacitor is substantially discharged, and the second sensing capacitor charges when the first sensing capacitor is substantially discharged, so that the first and second sensing capacitors are charged at different times; each of the first and second sensing capacitors being sensitive to moisture on the surface of the window; supplying a first erasing pulse, between times of the first and second writing pulses, the first erasing pulse causing the first sensing capacitor to substantially discharge, and supplying a second erasing pulse after the second writing pulse wherein the second erasing pulse causes the second sensing capacitor to substantially discharge; wherein a magnitude of an output of the sensing circuit is affected by presence of rain on the surface of the window; and converting an analog output signal of the sensing circuit to a digital signal and based on the digital signal determining whether rain is present on the surface of the window.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a rain sensor comprising: at least one sensing capacitor that is sensitive to moisture on an external surface of a window, the sensing capacitor including a first capacitor electrode that receives a charging signal and a second capacitor electrode spaced apart from the first capacitor electrode; and wherein the second capacitor electrode is floating so that the sensing capacitor is isolated from ground. The floating characteristic has been found to be advantageous in that it permits false reads due to EMI or external objects (e.g., human hand) to be reduced or prevented.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of sensing the presence of moisture (e.g., rain, dew, fog, or the like) on a vehicle window, the method comprising: receiving data relating to at least two capacitors supported by the vehicle window; autocorrelating the data relating to each capacitor to obtain autocorrelated data; and determining, based at least on said autocorrelated data, whether moisture is present on an exterior surface of the vehicle window. In certain example embodiments, the data relating to the at least two capacitors is received from circuitry that receives and/or reads capacitance data from the at least two capacitors. In certain example embodiments, the data relating to the at least two capacitors is output from circuitry that: (a) receives and/or reads data and/or signals from the at least two capacitors, and/or (b) includes a capacitor(s) or other circuit element(s) that mimics or substantially mimics charging and/or discharging of the at least two capacitors. In certain example embodiments, the autocorrelation may be used as an initial step to determine whether water may be present on the window. However, it is possible that the autocorrelation may also detect the presence of other materials (e.g., dust or dirt) on the window because the correlation signatures of these materials can be different.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a moisture sensor (e.g., rain sensor) for sensing the presence of moisture on a vehicle window, the moisture sensor comprising: one, two or more capacitors; means for autocorrelating data from one, two, three, more, or all of the capacitors to obtain autocorrelated data; and means for determining, based at least on said autocorrelated data, whether moisture is present on the vehicle window.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, cross-correlating data from the at least two capacitors may be performed so as to correlate data from different capacitors to obtain cross-correlated data. Then, based at least on the cross-correlated data, a type and/or amount of moisture may be determined. The cross-correlated data may also or instead be used to determine if the material detected via the autocorrelation is a material other than moisture such as dust or dirt, and if so then not actuating the wipers. In certain example embodiments, the cross-correlating may be performed after the autocorrelating when certain conditions are met. As an example, the cross-correlation may be performed so as to determine whether the moisture on the window is light rain, heavy rain, fog, sleet, snow, or ice (a type of moisture).
In certain example embodiments of this invention, the autocorrelated data from the capacitor(s) may be checked for negative values. When the autocorrelated data has negative value(s), then the system or method may indicate that it is not raining and/or may not actuate windshield wipers.
Moreover, in certain example embodiments, the system or method may calculate whether a gradient of an autocorrelation curve associated with the autocorrelated data is greater than one or some other predetermined value; and if not then the system or method may indicate that it is not raining, park the wipers if they were moving, and/or not actuate wipers of the vehicle.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, the system or method may determine whether the shape of the autocorrelation curve associated with the autocorrelated data is different than a predetermined autocorrelation curve associated with normalized non-disturbed autocorrelation data. When it is not different or substantially different, then it may be indicated that it is not raining, wipers may be parked if they had been moving, and/or wipers may be not actuated.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, conditions checked for in the autocorrelation function include (i) the gradient of the normalized autocorrelation function (e.g., when there is no disturbance the absolute value of the gradient is unity and changes with disturbance), (ii) the sign of the autocorrelation function (e.g., with a CB radio turned on or with a human hand on the windshield the values are oscillatory with positive and negative parts), and (iii) the shape of the autocorrelation function as a function of time lag may also be used as a signature or footprint to distinguish rain from other disturbances, and this shape may also be used to distinguish between different nuances of rain or water content. Thus, in certain example instances, cross-correlating of data from at least two capacitors is only performed when one, two or all of the following conditions are met: (a) the autocorrelated data has no negative values; (b) a gradient of an autocorrelation curve associated with said autocorrelated data is greater than one; and (c) the shape of the autocorrelation curve associated with the autocorrelated data is different than a predetermined autocorrelation curve associated with normalized non-disturbed autocorrelation data. Alternatively, (c) may be replaced with (c′) the shape of the autocorrelation curve associated with the autocorrelated data matches or substantially matches a predetermined autocorrelation curve associated with a known moisture pattern. In certain example embodiments of this invention, a symmetry level of a cross-correlation curve associated with the cross-correlated data can be determined.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, it is possible to compare the autocorrelation between various capacitors. In certain example embodiments of this invention, such a comparison may be used to tell the system whether to initiate a wipe if water is present on the window when the sensor system is turned on.
In certain example embodiments, a sensing capacitor array may include at least n sensing capacitors, wherein n may be two, four, ten or any other suitable number. The array may be any type of array such as a linear array, any of the arrays shown in the figures, or any other type of array. Autocorrelating of data from and/or related to all or less than all of the sensing capacitors may be performed to obtain the autocorrelated data.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, capacitors are formed based on a fractal pattern. For example and without limitation, one or more of the capacitors may be formed based on a fractal pattern, such as a Hilbert fractal pattern. Other capacitive fractal patterns may also be used, including but not limited to a Cantor set. These fractal structures maximize or enlarge the periphery and thus result in a large capacitance for a given area. The use of two dimensional fractal designs also allows the sensor to occupy a small amount of physical space on the window while at the same time being electrically larger than its physical size. The concentration of lateral flux in a fractal geometry may also allow the sensor to detect rain/water not necessarily spread over the actual physical area of the sensor in certain example embodiments of this invention. Furthermore, in its higher iteration(s) a fractal capacitor(s) has an attribute of being its own Faraday shield or quasi-Faraday shield. Also, in certain example embodiments, the rain sensor may be electrically connected to a Local Interconnect Bus of the vehicle.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of sensing the presence of moisture on a vehicle window such as a windshield, backlite or sunroof, the method comprising: receiving data from at least two capacitors supported by the vehicle window; correlating data from one or more of the capacitors to obtain correlated data; determining, based at least on said correlated data, (a) whether moisture is present on an exterior surface of the vehicle window, and/or (b) a type and/or amount of material present on an exterior surface of the vehicle window. For example and without limitation, the correlation may be autocorrelation and/or cross-correlation.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of engaging vehicle windshield wiper(s) in response to detected rain, the method comprising reading data from a capacitive array having at least two capacitors; autocorrelating data from each capacitor individually; determining from the autocorrelation data whether it is raining; cross-correlating data from the capacitors; determining from the cross-correlated data a type and/or an amount of rain; engaging the wipers if rain is detected; and, stopping or not actuating the wipers if one or both of the determining steps determines that it is not raining. In certain example embodiments, a symmetry level of the cross-correlation curve may be determined, and a wiper speed related to the symmetry level may be selected. A wiper speed may be selected from a plurality of predetermined wiper speeds in certain example instances. In some example embodiments, only a single wipe is initiated for boundary conditions detected in one or both of the determining steps.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of engaging windshield wipers of a vehicle in response to detected rain, the method comprising reading data from a capacitive array having at least two capacitors; mathematically comparing data from each capacitor individually (e.g., autocorrelating); determining from the mathematically compared individual capacitor data whether it is raining; mathematically comparing data from different capacitors (e.g., cross-correlating); determining from the mathematically compared different capacitor data a type and/or an amount of rain; engaging the wipers if rain is detected; and, stopping or not actuating the wipers if one or both of the determining steps determines that it is not raining.
In certain example embodiments, a sigma-delta modulator or other suitable circuit or software may be used to perform an analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion of data from the capacitive array. Additionally, in certain example embodiments, a software or other type of comparator may perform at least one of checking autocorrelation data for negative values, calculating whether a gradient of autocorrelation data is greater than one, and/or attempting to match or substantially match a shape of autocorrelation data with autocorrelation data stored in a database. In certain instances, the correlating engine computes cross-correlations when all conditions tested for by the comparator are met.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a system or method for engaging windshield wipers in response to detected rain, the system (or method) comprising a capacitive array having at least two capacitors; circuitry that reads capacitance data from the capacitive array; a correlating engine or correlator that autocorrelates data from the circuitry to determine the existence of rain, and cross-correlates data from the circuitry to determine a type and/or an amount of rain if it is determined that rain exists; and, a wiper motor that is capable of receiving a signal for directing whether the wipers should move or stop. In certain example embodiments, a symmetry level of a cross-correlation curve is computed, and the wiper motor may select a wiper speed related to the symmetry level.
In certain example embodiments, a rain sensor comprises at least two sensing devices (e.g., sensing capacitors or the like) that are affected by rain on a surface of a window; circuitry that provides an output related to the sensing devices; and at least one correlating engine that (a) autocorrelates information from said circuitry to determine whether rain is present, and/or (b) cross-correlates information from said circuitry to determine how fast to operate at least one wiper of a vehicle and/or an amount of rain.
In certain example embodiments, a method or system for engaging window wiper(s) in response to detected rain is provided and comprises a capacitive array having at least two capacitors; circuitry that reads capacitance data from the capacitive array; an algorithm that mathematically determines existence of rain on the window based on data from the circuitry, and mathematically quantifies a type and/or amount of rain if it is determined that rain exists; and, a wiper motor capable of receiving a signal(s) directing whether the wiper(s) should move or stop.